LUTHER S. SCHMIDT, ENS, USN

Luther Schmidt '23

Date of birth: October 31, 1901

Date of death: June 2, 1926

Age: 24

Lucky Bag

From the 1923 Lucky Bag:

Luther Schweitzer Schmidt

Schwenksville, Pennsylvania

"Bill" "Smitty" "Switzer"

"I'LL tell you whut—"

If from a long distance you see someone progressing along, not walking, mind you, but propelling himself with a seagoing roll, search no farther for his identity—'tis Smitty— he's the only one left who can cover ground that way. And do the girlies like it? Well, you ought to see the adoring looks they flash at their "seagoing" man.

Through three years Smitty has combined the business of being a midshipman with the pleasure of being a batterer of feminine hearts. He plays them impartially, and each week the cry goes up from his boudoir, "Say, fellows, wait 'til you see this one—she's a knockout."

But, aside from this frivolous side of his nature, very predominant, we must admit, our Smitty is a hard worker—class athletics have known him ever since he became a member of Mr. Denby's Boat Club. Best of luck to you, Smitty, old boy.

Class Track (4, 3, 2, 1); Expert Rifleman.

Luther Schweitzer Schmidt

Schwenksville, Pennsylvania

"Bill" "Smitty" "Switzer"

"I'LL tell you whut—"

If from a long distance you see someone progressing along, not walking, mind you, but propelling himself with a seagoing roll, search no farther for his identity—'tis Smitty— he's the only one left who can cover ground that way. And do the girlies like it? Well, you ought to see the adoring looks they flash at their "seagoing" man.

Through three years Smitty has combined the business of being a midshipman with the pleasure of being a batterer of feminine hearts. He plays them impartially, and each week the cry goes up from his boudoir, "Say, fellows, wait 'til you see this one—she's a knockout."

But, aside from this frivolous side of his nature, very predominant, we must admit, our Smitty is a hard worker—class athletics have known him ever since he became a member of Mr. Denby's Boat Club. Best of luck to you, Smitty, old boy.

Class Track (4, 3, 2, 1); Expert Rifleman.

Loss

Luther was lost on June 2, 1926 when the plane he was piloting crashed near Pensacola, Florida.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Luther graduated from Schwenksville High School. He was nominated to the Naval Academy by Congressman Henry W. Watson and appointed by Congressman Warren Garland of Pittsburgh.
In September, 1922, Lawrence and fellow classmate H. Carl Rode (’24) were honored at a dinner by friend William Reyer. Per The Morning Call, Allentown, Pennsylvania, September 13: “The evening was pleasantly spent in card playing and in dancing to the music furnished on the talking machine.”
In January 1926, Luther was best man at Ensign Lawrence E. Hurd’s (’23) wedding in Pensacola.
Luther's plane collided with another at 2,000 feet. The other pilot parachuted to safety.
His father conducted Luther’s funeral service, and he was buried in the Jerusalem Lutheran church cemetery.

He was survived by his parents; he is buried in Pennsylvania.

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.

The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.

The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.